Jun 2008 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

Darkness and LightContinue from ...... Brother Christian showed me photographs of the icons he had made and explained to me how he made them. He told me how he prepared the wood, how he mixed egg white with ground colours and made egg tempura, how he covered the surface with many layers of paint, going from the darker colours to the lighter, and how he did all of this in a way faithful to centuries-old iconographic traditions. I was most moved by the icon of the Lebanese St Charbel, whose face was one of the most penetrating I had ever seen on an icon. I asked Brother Christian if there were any chance that he could paint an icon of St Charbel for me. He showed great interest in doing so. He is going to Rome for three years to study theology and prepare himself for the priesthood. He hopes to set up his own icon studio there. If he does, he will paint another Charbel icon for me. It would be a wonderful way for me to stay in communication with this remarkable Lebanese saint and his war-torn country. A Sacred Connection Two places in Trosly have a deep connection with each other. They are L'Oratoire and La Forestiere. L'Oratorie is a prayer room where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed all day long and where people are always present in silent adoration. The room itself is a large, rather dark space with small kneelers and little mats. The space is divided by a thick stone wall built of heavy grey stone. In the middle of the wall, a large open space is carved in the shape of a semicircle. There the monstrance stands, flanked on each side by three oil lamps. Beautiful fresh flowers are always present. On both sides of the wall people kneel, sit, or lie down in prayer. In many ways L'Oratoire is the heart of L'Arche. The unceasing silent prayer in the presence of the hidden God who gives himself completely to us in unlimited love is the breath that makes L'Arche possible. Every time I enter L'Oratoire I feel a deep rest coming over me, and even if it is hard for me to pray I feel held there. It is as if the room prays for me. I know of few places where the presence of prayer is so tangible. If I can't pray, I go there so that I can at least breathe air rich with prayer. In L'Oratoire I meet the poverty of God, the God who became flesh and even our food and drink, the God who does not hold back any of his love and who says, "Eat of me, drink of me," the God who is so deeply hidden that he can be recognized only by the eye of faith. Then there is La Forestiere, the foyer where the most handicapped people live with their assistants. The handicapped people in La Forestiere cannot walk, speak or dress themselves. Many cannot feed themselves; some can hardly see or hear. Their bodies are severely distorted and often wracked with intense pain. When I go to La Forestiere, I am always struck by the silence. The handicapped and their assistants live a life that in many ways feels monastic. The assistants are very busy with cleaning, cooking, feeding, dressing, or just holding, but they do it all in a very quiet way. Once in a while the quiet is interrupted by a groan, a cry, or a shout, in which the deep agony of the handicapped men and women can be sensed. But mostly there is silence. If I can truly believe that God loved us so much that he became flesh among us, the people at La Forestiere invite me to see how deep that love is. Indeed, here I can meet Jesus, the same Jesus whom I adore in L'Oratoire. Here, too, God is hidden; here, too, is unceasing prayer of simple presence; here, too, is the utmost poverty. Tony, an Englishman who is also in Trosly for a year, said to me yesterday. "The first great commandment is lived out in L'Oratoire, the second in La Forestiere. Here in Trosly you can come to understand what Jesus meant where he said that these commandments resemble each other." I have thought about Tony's words the whole day.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2008. All rights reserved.